Spurs clinch series with 139-109 Game 6 rout of Timberwolves

The San Antonio Spurs closed the series with their most decisive win of it, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 139-109 on Friday, May 15, at Target Center in Minneapolis. The result gave San Antonio a 4-2 series win in the Western Conference semifinals and sent the Spurs to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2017. Stephon Castle led the scoring with 32 points, and San Antonio’s offense never let Minnesota back into the game after a fast start. ### How lopsided was Game 6? San Antonio led 36-27 after one quarter, 74-61 at halftime and 110-84 after three, according to the NBA game summary. The Spurs shot 49-for-88 from the field, or 55.7%, while Minnesota shot 40-for-106, or 37.7%. The 30-point margin matched the shape of the box score across the board. San Antonio made 18 of 38 shots from 3-point range, outrebounded Minnesota 60-29 and finished with 34 assists. (nba.com) Minnesota committed only five turnovers, but that did not offset the gap in shooting and rebounding. ### Which Spurs set the tone? Stephon Castle finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in 29:47, making 11 of 16 shots and 5 of 7 from 3-point range. (nba.com) De’Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists in 24:21, while Victor Wembanyama scored 19 points with six rebounds and three blocks in 27:22. Julian Champagnie added 18 points, and rookie Dylan Harper scored 15 off the bench. (nba.com) NBA.com’s recap said San Antonio set a franchise postseason record for made 3-pointers by going 18-for-38 from deep. ### What happened to Minnesota’s stars? Anthony Edwards scored 24 points in 35:49, but he needed 26 shots and finished 9-for-26 from the field. (nba.com) Naz Reid added 18 points, and Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 21 in under 22 minutes. Julius Randle scored three points on 1-for-8 shooting, and Rudy Gobert was held scoreless in 21:35. (nba.com) Minnesota finished the series 2-4 after entering the second round as the No. 6 seed in the West. ### How did the six-game series turn? Minnesota opened the matchup with a 104-102 win in Game 1 before San Antonio answered with a 133-95 win in Game 2, according to the NBA series page. (nba.com) The teams split the next two games, leaving the series tied 2-2. San Antonio then took control with a 126-97 win in Game 5 and the 139-109 closeout in Game 6. (nba.com) The NBA playoff page lists the Spurs’ series averages at 120.7 points, 50.2 rebounds and 25.8 assists, compared with 104.5 points, 43.8 rebounds and 20.5 assists for Minnesota. ### What did the players say after it was over? Anthony Edwards went to the Spurs bench in the fourth quarter to offer congratulations, according to the Associated Press recap carried on NBA.com. “I just tip my hat to them,” Edwards said. “They were just the better team.” (nba.com) Victor Wembanyama said the Spurs were not looking past the next round even after the clinching win. “Of course we’re confident, but we need to keep the right confidence level,” Wembanyama said. “Right now, I’m not even thinking about it. (nba.com) I’m just thinking about recovering.” ### When does the next series start? Game 1 of the Western Conference finals is scheduled for Monday, May 18, at 8:30 p.m. (nba.com) ET, with the Spurs visiting the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center, according to NBA.com. The NBA playoff page lists Game 2 for May 20 in Oklahoma City, with Games 3 and 4 set for May 22 and May 24 in San Antonio. (nba.com)